New Manchester Valley High principal named

A new acting principal began at Manchester Valley High School last week, replacing an interim principal who filled in when the school's former principal requested a transfer to teach.

Joe Guerra, former assistant principal at Winters Mill High School, was announced as acting principal of Manchester Valley High at the Carroll County Board of Education's Sept. 9 meeting. Guerra was replaced by Amy Day, a student support facilitator, who will serve as acting assistant principal of Winters Mill.

Guerra did not return multiple phone messages left at the school; however, on Tuesday a secretary referred all questions to Carroll County Public Schools spokeswoman Carey Gaddis.

CCPS Superintendent Stephen Guthrie said at the Sept. 9 Board of Education meeting that Guerra and Day will remain in those positions throughout the 2015-16 academic year. The school system will then go through the normal process to fill those positions, effective July 1, Guthrie said.

Manchester High began the academic year under a temporary administration after former principal Kenneth Fischer requested a transfer to teach and former assistant principal Gina Felter was promoted to principal of Carroll County's Outdoor School.

Students and parents were notified about Fischer's decision to return to teaching through an email sent Friday, Aug. 28 — three days before the first day of school.

"MVHS staff are very excited to begin the school year on Monday, August 31st. Dr. Fischer has decided to make a career move and is leaving MVHS. Mr. Todd Hicks will be the Acting Principal. The rest of the administrative team are Ms. Betsy Donovan and Acting Assistant Principal Valery Dennis. Everyone at MVHS is looking forward to working with your sons and daughters this school year."

Seniors Keersten Gouge and Bridget Brooks, who stood with a group of friends in the Manchester Valley High parking lot last week, said they were unphased by the change.

"We've had different principals every year since we were freshmen," Gouge said.

Randy Clark was the principal to start the 2012-13 school year, when this year's senior class were freshmen; Fischer replaced him in the 2013-14 school year.

"I guess it doesn't bother me that much," Brooks said of the change.

"They always leave in the summertime, too," Gouge said. "They never really leave during the school year."

Fischer did not return a message seeking comment. Instead, the call was returned by Gaddis, who said Fischer did not wish to comment on his career move.

"Mr. Fischer approached the Superintendent and requested a transfer to the classroom for personal reasons. Carroll County Public Schools was able to honor his request," Gaddis said in an emailed statement. "According to Mr. Guthrie, 'Mr. Fischer is a former Carroll County Teacher of the Year and as a school system we are fortunate to have a teacher the quality of Mr. Fischer return to the classroom.' "

Fischer requested the transfer on Aug. 27, according to Gaddis, and is now a teacher at Sykesville Middle School.

"This is not something that happens frequently in the school system, but it is not unusual," Gaddis wrote in an email.

The most recent time a principal requested a transfer to the classroom was in 2013, when former Charles Carroll Elementary School Principal Natalie Crist made the request, according to information provided by the school system.